Title:

Author(s):

Cardenas, D. D., & Hoffman, J. M

Year:

2009

Publication Info:

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 90:1668-1671

Abstract:

Cardenas DD, Hoffman JM. Hydrophilic catheters versus noncoated catheters for reducing the incidence of urinary tract infections: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE: To test the hypotheses that hydrophilic catheters reduce the incidence of symptomatic urinary tract infections (UTIs) in persons with spinal cord injury on self-intermittent catheterization (IC).
DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial.
SETTING: Community.
PARTICIPANTS: Subjects (N=56) on IC with recurrent UTIs and who met eligibility criteria.
INTERVENTION: Use of hydrophilic catheters for IC.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Symptomatic UTIs treated with antibiotics.
RESULTS: Of the 56 subjects enrolled, 45 completed the study (22 in the treatment group, 23 in the control group). There were no significant differences in demographics, including sex, between the treatment group and the controls except for more tetraplegic subjects in the control group (P
CONCLUSIONS: Although there was no difference in the number of symptomatic UTIs in the 2 groups, hydrophilic catheter usage was associated with reduced numbers of treated UTIs as compared with standard nonhydrophilic catheters in persons with spinal cord injury who used self-IC; however, the study is limited by a small sample size. Women on self-IC were more likely to develop UTIs regardless of the catheter type, suggesting that the benefits of the lubrication may be more important in men.